Name badges are commonly worn to self-identify and to aid people in making new acquaintances. Name badges come in many different forms, particularly for business use, including paper, clear plastic holders, and etched or printed plastics and metals. Such badges may be held in place by adhesives, pins, clips, lanyards, magnets, and other means.
Quality name badge design and proper placement may greatly ease introductions. For example, a badge should be visible when shaking hands, be legible from a few feet away, and provide an idea of your occupation.
Beyond poor graphic design, current name badges often suffer from a number of functional difficulties. Paper and adhesive tags are of limited use because they are not reusable. For reusable badges, the chief challenge is the ability to attach a badge to one's clothing regardless of the outfit and without damaging the fabric. The next challenge is to keep the name badge properly oriented so that it is readable and professional. Clips and lanyards allow name badges to turn, and other name badges often tilt downward, particularly when the fabric upon which they are placed sags.
The greatest functional difficulty with most name badges is that when shaking hands, one must choose between making eye contact and squinting to read the name badge in order to figure out to whom you are talking Although common, this practice is often embarrassing for both parties and leads to a poorer quality of business interaction, which may decrease revenue. Many people will avoid another networking opportunity so that they will avoid this discomfort, and their business suffers correspondingly.
There is need in the art for a name badge that aids proper positioning on any wardrobe, stays in place, improves identification, and does so affordably.